Chicago Marathon Training, Week 2

I’m back in Chicago! I had a work trip last week in Phoenix and I didn’t get home until last night. I love being home in Phoenix, but I didn’t want to run outside in the heat. I used to give up running entirely in the summers when I lived in Phoenix. Yes, I’m a fair-weather runner; what of it? I didn’t log any miles outside last week. My mileage was not high at all, but I am proud of myself for making it to fitness classes during my busy trip.Here’s how Week 2 of Chicago Marathon training went:Monday: 3 miles at Orangetheory. It was the first day of peak performance week in which we really challenge ourselves. We don’t normally run for as long as we did that night; it seemed like we did endless push paces. I kept my push pace at 9:30, which would be my ideal race pace right now. I stayed at that pace even when we did 3 percent and 4 percent inclines. My all-out pace was 8:31. We also challenged ourselves to finish a 500-meter row as fast as we could. My time was 1:51, which I was impressed with. (I was also super out of breath!)

Floor workout included:

Tempo pushups

Bridge rows on the TRX straps

More rowing

Back extensions

Squats. (Always squats.)

Tuesday: 30-minutes of yoga at home in honor of International Day of Yoga!

Wednesday: Travel day. I did squats (reps: 14/12/10/8/6), crunches (20) and pushups (20) before I left.

Thursday: 2.3 miles at Orangetheory. I completed the 2,000-meter challenge in 8:46.

Friday: Rest day.

Saturday: 1.8 miles at Orangetheory. We started with a 4-minute progressive push. I went to class to avoid running in the Phoenix heat, but even the class was hot. We also had three all-out rows. On the floor, we did:

Reverse lunges with dumbbells.

Double crunches.

Plank with alternating foot raises.

Rollouts on the TRX straps.

Knee tucks.

Squats with dumbbells.

High rows with dumbbells.

Tricep extensions.

Sunday: 2.25 miles at Orangetheory. I made it to the 6:30 a.m. class before breakfast with a friend and flying back to Chicago. We did a lot of incline work: One of the all-outs was at a 6 percent climb! We also incorporated several all-out rows.

Floor workout included:

Ground to press.

Sit-up to stand on Bosu ball.

Bicep curls.

Week’s mileage: 9.35Yoga minutes: 45

Reflections:

While I didn’t increase my mileage much in Week 2, I stayed active on a work trip, which I consider a win. I was out and about nonstop during my time in Phoenix. I wished I had gone to one more class, but I did the best I could. I’m looking forward to my regular running routine this week with miles logged outdoors.

I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to the recent stress I have been experiencing. One issue I had been anxious about has been addressed and another is about to be as well. I can’t wait to get there!

Also, I started tracking my food Saturday after neglecting to do so for months (even a year). I am hoping that by tracking what I eat I can avoid gaining weight during this marathon training program. When I trained for my first marathon I put on a little weight (which is more noticeable on my small frame). This was mainly due to not eating the best foods during training and giving in to too many cravings after my long runs. My goal is to not do that this time.

How are your fitness goals coming along? Do you track your macros? Do you have any tips for doing so?